1-O-HEXADECYL-2-BUTENOYL-SN-GLYCERO-3-PHOSPHOCHOLINE

Butenoyl and butanoyl PAF are both products of the oxidative decomposition of 2-arachidonoyl phospholipids. Oxygenation of C-5 of the 5,6 double bond followed by cleavage of the hydroperoxide results in a PAF-like compound with a 4-carbon residue esterified in the sn-2 position; similar oxidized lipid products also act as ligands for oxidized lipid receptors and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor. Although butenoyl PAF is 10-fold less potent than PAF as a PAF receptor agonist, it is present in amounts 100-fold greater than enzymatically generated PAF. Therefore, oxidation of LDL phospholipids generates physiologically relevant bioactive PAF-like molecules.